Meilily

Wishlist: Lancome Limited Edition “Declaring Indigo” Blue Brush Set

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 | Product Launches, Tools and Brushes, Wishlist | 5 Comments

Screenshot: Nordstrom Lancome Limited Edition Declaring Indigo Brush Set

Can one have a crush on brushes? I don’t normally get excited about makeup brushes, other than synthetic kabuki’s, but Lancome’s new limited edition blue-black makeup brushes are immensely attractive, and this brush set is one of only a few new products that I predict will strike ahhhh in the hearts of consumers everywhere.

The limited edition “Declaring Indigo” set of Lancome’s new blue-black brushes will be available to ship from Nordstrom.com starting July 17, 2009 (pre-order now). This smolderingly beautiful new Lancome brush set is a $124 value, and comes with four blue and black bristle brushes and a pretty blue-black brush clutch for only $52.

The Nordstrom-exclusive Lancome brush set includes the following 4 brushes:
- Mineral Powder Foundation Brush
- Foundation Brush #2 (liquid foundation brush)
- Blender Brush #4 (face and eye blender)
- Dual-Ended Brush #18 (liner and shadow)

*To view a larger-size image of the brush set with bag, click here.
(Note: According to Lucky Magazine, the price of this brush set will go up a lot after August 2!)

[Update: I checked out these brushes in person, and most of them are synthetic, according to the salesperson.  I think only the blender is not synthetic.  Also, the bag is really cute!]

Meilily Wishlist Item: Lancome’s Limited Edition “Declaring Indigo” Brush Set!

Tags: Lancome blue brushes, Lancome brushes, Lancome Declaring Indigo Brush Set, limited edition, makeup brushes, new products, Nordstrom Exclusives, Product Launches, synthetic brushes, Wishlist

What to Actually Bring on a Summer Beach Vacation: Beauty & Skincare Necessities

Monday, July 6th, 2009 | Beauty Tips, General, Photos, Product Picks, Skincare | 2 Comments

While Meilily is on vacation in Kauai, here are some beauty and skincare product tips on what to bring on your next summer beach vacation… Check out this comparison of what Meilily brought, and what Meilily actually ended up using (and not using) while on vacation!

Beauty & Skincare Products for a Summer Beach Vacation

Meilily Summer Beach Vacation Products

Must-haves…

• Mineral Sunscreen -Lavera Sun Block SPF 40 Neutral Sunscreen (thick, mineral sun protection, whitening, but actually waterproof- perfect for hiking, snorkeling, and even beach-sitting!)
• Insect Repellent – Skin So Soft BUG GUARD Plus Picaridin Insect Repellent Towelettes (easy to apply in the right amount and smells pretty good)
• Natural Deodorant – Tom’s of Maine Natural Long-lasting Care Deodorant in Apricot (great, but perhaps not enough for a day-long trek through a swamp apparently)
• Hair Conditioner sample packets – DHC has some generous hair care samples (4 Free DHC Samples with Every Order.)
• A basic razor – I brought a disposable razor (shame on me), but non-disposable works too
• A wide brim fold-able sun hat – found one at Nordstrom on sale (so useful in hot sun!)
• Large sunglasses (really helps keep the delicate eye area protected from sun)

Good-to-haves… —› › Continue reading

Tags: Avon Bug Guard, Beauty Tips, insect repellent, mosquito repellent, Skincare, Summer Skincare, sunscreen, Swimsuits, Travel Style, Travel Tips

Beach Vacation Style Pick: Affordable Active Swimwear

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 | Fashion, Photos, Style Picks | 1 Comment

Meilily is on vacation in Kauai this week…
I probably won’t be updating as much when I’m away, and instead hope to do as much snorkeling, hiking, beach-sitting, photo-taking, ooh-ing and aaah-ing as possible…

Meilily Style Pick: Merona Olive Swim Tankini & Swim Skirt

Meilily Beach Vacation Style Pick!

In line with the beach vacation theme, here is a great swimsuit find from… Target (of all places) that works great for active beach vacations. I just tried it out during a day full of snorkeling and wandering about town, so this style pick is tried and true!

While many of you may not consider stores like Target a one-stop vacation wear shop, I found a good-coverage two-piece tankini swimsuit with swim skirt from Target’s Merona clothing line for only $19.99 each piece. Given that all the swimsuits I had been looking at (J.Crew, Athleta, Victoria’s Secret) were either too expensive for my current budget (over $40 per piece), oddly patterned, or too skimpy (think “coming-off-in-the-next-wave“), this Merona swim outfit was a lucky find! It’s perfect for transitioning easily from street to swim, especially since the swim skirt has an attached bikini bottom!

Happy Swimming! from Meilily

Tags: Affordable Fashion, Athleta, Beach Style, bikinis, J.Crew, Merona, Skirts, swim skirts, Swimsuits, Target, Travel Style, Victoria's Secret

IMATS Haul: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, Make Up For Ever, Cruelty-Free Brushes & More!

Thursday, June 25th, 2009 | Makeup, Photos, Tools and Brushes | 1 Comment

Meilily IMATS Haularama!
Just wanted to share my haul from IMATS 2009, the International Makeup Artists Trade Show held in Los Angeles. I was there on Day 2 and picked up a satisfying budget-friendly haul. It’s a small haul by any means, but, I didn’t want to go overboard, given the economy right now! You should be proud!

Meilily: IMATS Makeup Haul

Make Up For Ever (MUFE) offered 40% off at the show, and most exhibitors offered at least 20-30% off! So here’s what I picked up:

• MUFE Diamond Cream in shade 4 Flesh
• MUFE Empty 3 Pan Palette
• MUFE Diamond Eye Shadow in 308 Diamond Night Blue
• MUFE Eye Shadow in 167 True Blue
• MUFE Eye Shadow in 144 Periwinkle Blue
• Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Loose Colour in Glisten (“pale peach/coral shimmer”)
• Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Loose Colour in Burning(“bright coral with subtle violet shimmer”)
• Mehron Cheek Cream in Bronze (~50% off!)
• Royal & Langnickel Tri-color Nylon Kabuki Brush – Small Dome (50% off!)
• Royal & Langnickel Tri-color Nylon Kabuki Brush -Medium Angle (60% off!)

Keep Reading for More Meilily Haul Photos… —› › Continue reading

Tags: blush, eye shadow, Haularama, hauls, highlighters, IMATS, IMATS 2009, kabuki brush, Make Up For Ever, Makeup, Makeup Show, mineral makeup, obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, product photos, synthetic brushes

IMATS Photos Part 2: The Makeup Show LA

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 | Hot Happenings, Makeup, Photos | Comments Off

More Photos from IMATS 2009 (Day 2)…
Continuing the coverage of Meilily’s visit to Los Angeles for IMATS, the International Makeup Artists Trade Show:  Here are more photos from IMATS Day 2, with a focus on film makeup and some disturbing but fascinating oddities from the show!

*Don’t forget to check out Meilily’s Part 1: IMATS Highlights & Photos, with MAC Pro body art!

Note: I placed these photos in order of oddness, starting with a normal makeup photo…

Meilily: Make Up For Ever Display at IMATS

Found lovely little synthetic kabuki brushes for only $6 from Royal & Langnickel’s booth- They totally remind me of my beloved Stript Taklon Kabuki Brush! —› › Continue reading

Tags: Film Makeup, IMATS, IMATS 2009, MAC Pro, Make Up For Ever, Makeup, Makeup Show, Movie Makeup, synthetic brushes, Tools and Brushes

IMATS Highlights & Photos: At the Makeup Show LA

Monday, June 22nd, 2009 | Hot Happenings, Makeup, Photos, Sales | 3 Comments

Meilily traveled to Los Angeles for IMATS, the International Makeup Artists Trade Show, and was there for Day 2 of the makeup trade show. There were tons of great brands and supply stores touting their wares, including MAC Pro, Make Up For Ever, Bobbi Brown, Obsessive Compulsive Makeup, and Mehron, as well as Royal Langnickel Brushes, Namies, Nigel Beauty Emporium, and tons of others.

Here are some highlights from IMATS Day 2:

Meilily at IMATS: MAC Pro Body Makeup

It was fantastic to see all the body painting and special effects makeovers going on!

Keep reading for more photos from IMATS… —› › Continue reading

Tags: Beauty, blush, Discount, IMATS, Make Up For Ever, Makeup, obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, Sales

Beauty Around the Web: Total Beauty Web Tour Week of June 15, 2009

Sunday, June 21st, 2009 | General | Comments Off

Meilily Beauty Around the Web! Just wanted to keep you posted on what’s going on around the Total Beauty community: Here are some links to keep you busy this week!

[Stay tuned for IMATS makeup show coverage and photos from Meilily up next!]

The Informed Makeup Maven discovers Votre Vu and Terra Firma Cosmetics, talks summer faves and hosts MAC, Stila and Maybelline giveaways.

Beauty Anonymous shares a preview of Jill Stuart’s upcoming 5th Anniversary Collection for fall 2009!

Boutique Flair is offering 2 chances to win some swag. Enter here and here by 06/21/09!

The Beauty Couch shares some ideas for getting that sexy 60′s Star Trek-inspired look.

Meilily talks Fitness Shoe Skepticism: Are FitFlops & MBTs Just Glorified Platform Shoes?

Neon Bible experiments with Japanese nail art

A Little More Beautiful is giving away 1 LUSH Sweetie Stack Gift Set which includes 3 of their most popular soaps.

—› › Continue reading

Tags: Total Beauty, Total Beauty Web Tour, TotalBeauty Blogs

Featured ShopStyle Look: Summer Beach Neutrals by Meilily

Sunday, June 21st, 2009 | Fashion, Featured Looks | Comments Off

Welcome to Summer, Northern Hemisphere readers!

Next week Meilily will be on vacation in Hawaii, so check out this neutral beachy look – It’s based around one extremely flattering and travel-friendly dress by Patagonia.

This look includes the following fashion and accessory items:
Morning Glory Dress by Patagonia
Sandals by Boden
Pop Art Large Tote by Betsey Johnson
Blue Tourmaline Mix Necklace by Vanessa Jenik
Fish & Hook Necklace by Betsey Johnson
Hat by Juicy Couture
Jemima Floppy Hat by Melissa Odabash

Enjoy! from Meilily

Links à la Mode: IFB Fashion Potluck & Hodge Podge

Friday, June 19th, 2009 | Fashion, General | Comments Off

Dear readers, Meilily has joined forces with Independent Fashion Bloggers (IFB) to bring you the top 20 editor-selected IFB links this week! Meilily is on the list! Enjoy!

Fashion Potluck

Edited by Dramtis Personae
This week’s Links á la Mode is a fashion potluck, a hodge podge of politics in fashion, interviews with fabulous designers, bloggers, and photographers, flashbacks in to our fashion past, and great shops and designers to check out. I couldn’t make rhyme or theme of the collection, so just sit back & enjoy some of the best the Independent Fashion Bloggers had to offer this week!

Links à la Mode : June 19th

• A Typical Atypical – Thrifting – how to thrift with success – a step by step introduction for thrifting newbies
• Awakened Aesthetic – Ever have those utterly feminine, against-the-trend days? From lingerie to accessories, Jennifer Nicole goes ethereal
• Bonne Vie – Parasol Party Review
• Breakfast at Saks – Es Trella
• Denimaniac – Best Denim Shops | Denham
• dramatis personae – Plus-Sized Eco-Friendly Fashion: A Myth?
• Fashion Matchmaker – Awesome giveaway, enter to win a beautiful, summery Love Quotes scarf!
• Fashion Pulse Daily – Get the summer blues by entering for a chance to win a pair of Current/Elliott boyfriend jeans!
• Felicia Sullivan – Interview: Entrepreneur and CEO at 24, Lindsay Phillips on Interchangable Flip Flops, Manufacturing in China, and Discovering Your Ideal Business Partner: Your Mom!
• in-mode.com – 4 weeks. bikini. ready. (week 1).
• Independent Fashion Bloggers – Get Real: How to Beat Blogging Perfectionism
• Individual Chic – Best bras for big girls
• Meilily – Fitness Shoe Skepticism: FitFlops & MBTs Glorified Platform Sandals & Sneakers?
• Pursed Lips Magazine – Documentary Teaches Never Let Our Daughters Model |
• Retro Chick – 5 Ideas for Summer Days Out
• Style Symmetry – Seven Question Interview with The Clothes Horse!
• The Bare Skinny – Fifty Fierce Shoes for the Rocker Chick
• THE COVETED – Tye Died
• The Demoiselles – From the Birds: A Body Mantra
• the nerdlings – Men Have Style Too: Adventure Through The Photo Lens
• Unfunded – L.A. Fashion Market Wrap Up

[*Sorry, the original IFB image was huge; so I updated with a smaller image to help page loading!]

Tags: Fashion Community, IFB, Independent Fashion Bloggers, Links à la Mode, style

Lipstick Queen: New Chinatown Glossy Pencils

Thursday, June 18th, 2009 | Makeup, Photos, Stores | 5 Comments

Why I haven’t written about Lipstick Queen products yet, I don’t know!
Available at high-end department store Barneys New York, the Lipstick Queen cosmetics line by Poppy King seems to have developed from a mixture of luxury noir glamour and tongue-in-cheek vision.  (The line first become known for its fascinating Saint and Sinner lipsticks, light and intense versions of the same lipstick shade.)

Now, the latest example of why Lipstick Queen products so effectively capture our imagination is their new product, the Chinatown Glossy Pencil, inspired by both the Roman Polanski film, Chinatown, and also by New York’s Chinatown.  The minute I found out that the pencil has “Lipstick Queen” written on it in Chinese, I knew I had to try it!

The Lipstick Queen Chinatown Glossy Pencils currently come in 5 bright-but-sheer colors, and these jumbo pencils even come with their own sharpener.

More Details, Review and Photos of Chinatown Chase Glossy Pencil —› › Continue reading

Tags: bright pink lipstick, Chinatown Chase, Featured Products, lip pencil, Lipstick Queen, Lipstick Queen Chinatown Glossy Pencils, new products, product photos, product reviews, sheer gloss

Fitness Shoe Skepticism: FitFlops & MBTs Glorified Platform Sandals & Sneakers?

Monday, June 15th, 2009 | General, Style and Technology | 25 Comments

Specialized toning fitness shoes are popping up all over the place these days.  Originating with curved sole MBT sneakers and semi-wedge FitFlops, these trendy “fitness shoes” are supposed to help tone muscles, improve posture, and more!  Am I going to jump on the leg-toning fitness shoe bandwagon and buy MBT sneakers or FitFlops (or both)?  I think not!

I find the latest trend selling glorified platform sneakers and flip flops as special fitness shoes disconcerting.  The average toning fitness flip flop seems to cost twice as much as the regular platform flip flop sandals that I wear (by Flojos); the average toning fitness sneaker seems to cost four times the price of my beloved Aldo or Nine West platform wedge sandals.  I hope this trend does not mean that my usual platform sandals are going to cost a lot more from now on because they’ve been toning my legs as I walk!

What Fitness Shoes Can Supposedly Do

FitFlop, for example, claims that their fitness sandals can help —› › Continue reading

Tags: Blissworld.com, Exercise, Fashion & Technology, FitFlops, Fitness, Fitness Shoes, MBT, MBT Shoes, Sandals, Skechers Shoes, Sneakers, Trends

Beauty Around the Web: Total Beauty Web Tour Week of June 8, 2009

Sunday, June 14th, 2009 | General | Comments Off

Meilily Beauty Around the Web! Hope you all had a great week! Here are some links to recap what’s been going on around the web from the Total Beauty community. I think June is shaping up to be a really interesting month on many fronts! Enjoy!

The Informed Makeup Maven talks Kissable Couture, Genie and gives away Diorshow, MAC, Stila and Maybelline!

Beauty Junkies Unite shares an easy guide to sexy summer legs!

Can you lose weight by eating cookies? eye4style invesigates The Cookie Diet. Nom, nom!

Beauty Anonymous reviews Shiseido’s Maquillage Face Creator 3D!

My Makeup Blog answers one reader’s question and gives tips and tricks on monolid eye makeup. Come and take a look!

Makeup Files wants to know: What is your nighttime skincare routine?

Meilily discusses cosmetics ingredients: are they harmful, safe, or who knows?

addicted to lipstick gives us the rundown for the top 2009 Celebrity summer hairstyles.

Beautè Noire is giving away free Max Factor makeup!

—› › Continue reading

Tags: Beauty Around the Web, Beauty Community, Free Stuff, Total Beauty Web Tour, TotalBeauty Blogs